VINCENNES, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — The Mechatronic and Robotics Program at Vincennes University graduated its 1,000th apprentice Friday.
The Vice President of Workforce Development at the school says the program was the first registered apprenticeship of its kind in the U.S., leading them to partner with industry leaders such as Amazon.
“Amazon recruits employees out of their fullfillment centers, around North America, to come to Vincennes to become automation techs. If you have ever seen footage of packages flying through an Amazon facility, it is those technicians who keep those automated lines running and those scanners reading those packages.”
Friday, the school held a completion ceremony for the most recent 21 graduates. In this class of students, Ayanna Winston became the 1,000th apprentice to complete the program at VU.
“I feel great honestly. I feel so accomplished. I’m only 19 years old, so it feels really amazing to know I’ve accomplished something like this at such a young age and I’m getting into the doorway of my career.”
Ayanna says she has no plans to stop pursuing higher education.
“I want to complete my OJL portion of the learning first, I want to complete my 2,000 hours. After that, I plan on going to a 4-year university to get my bachelor’s in mechanical engineering and a minor in Computer Science.”
Graduates of the program say the hands-on training propels them as they go into the workforce.
“I think it is an excellent opportunity for anyone to learn. I came in knowing absolutely nothing and now I feel like I know quite a bit.”
After the program, students have 2,000 hours of on-the-job training and 18 total certifications to begin their career.
